The Joseon Dynasty Tangerine 'Civil Service Examination' Returns... Young Farmers Compete for Innovation

[Financial News Jeju = Reporter Jeong Yong-bok] Hwanggamje, a tradition from the Joseon Dynasty in which tangerines presented as tribute from Jeju Province were distributed to Confucian scholars to compete in academics, is being reinterpreted as a competition for innovative fruit tree ideas by young farmers. Cases and solutions from across the country are being sought, in which young farmers have directly addressed issues in the agricultural field, such as farming methods, productivity, distribution, and labor shortages.
According to the Jeju International Citrus Expo Organizing Committee on the 2nd, the committee is recruiting participants for the '2026 Jeju Citrus Expo Hwanggamje' until October 30.
Hwanggamje was a special civil service examination held during the Joseon Dynasty to distribute tangerines presented as tribute from Jeju Province to students of Sungkyunkwan and private academies and to encourage their studies. The organizing committee has prepared this year's event by transforming the historical significance of connecting tangerines with wisdom into a competition for innovation in modern agriculture.
The target participants are young South Korean farmers aged 18 to 39. Participation is open to farmers nationwide, not limited to the Jeju region.
The theme of the contest is "Idea Proposals for the Fruit and Orchard Sector Through Innovation Cases." We are seeking experiences and ideas that have transformed existing agricultural management practices, ranging from the field application of new farming methods to increased productivity, expanded sales, improved distribution structures, and the resolution of labor supply issues.
Not only cases that have already yielded results in the agricultural field but also creative improvement plans that can be spread to other farms will be evaluated. The purpose is to share on-site solutions by integrating the skills and management methods of young farmers into traditional fruit cultivation.
Participants can choose between a video and presentation materials for the application method. They can submit either a 1- to 3-minute short video introducing their innovation case or presentation materials written in a presentation format, such as Hangul. Participants who pass the preliminary screening will present their ideas at the finals, which will be held on November 22 at the Farmers' Education Hall of the Seogwipo Agricultural Technology Center.

There are a total of 10 winners. Two winners, the top prize, will be selected—one each from the shorts video and presentation categories—and will receive 1 million won each. One gold medalist will receive 700,000 won, one silver medalist 500,000 won, and one bronze medalist 300,000 won. Five honorable mentions will each receive 200,000 won. Winners are scheduled to be presented with awards such as the Jeju Governor's Award and the Administrator of the Rural Development Administration Award.
Hwanggamje was also held last year as part of the Jeju Citrus Expo program. At that time, young farmers directly presented innovative cases from their agricultural fields, and winners were selected through a review process. This year, the event will once again gather field innovation cases and ideas in the fruit and orchard sectors from young farmers nationwide.
The Jeju International Citrus Expo Organizing Committee’s decision to continue Hwanggamje is underpinned by the judgment that it is difficult to maintain the competitiveness of the citrus industry solely through production volume or quality. This is because responding to challenges such as rural labor shortages, rising production costs, and changes in the distribution environment requires transforming not only cultivation techniques but also management and sales methods.
In particular, if the experiences of young farmers who are familiar with digital technology and actively utilize new distribution and marketing methods are shared, there is a possibility that individual farm cases can be applied to other fruit industries.
Those wishing to participate can download the application form from the official website of the Jeju International Citrus Expo, fill it out, and submit it via email by October 30.
"We will modernize the spirit of Hwanggamje, a competition of scholarship and wisdom held during the Joseon Dynasty, to discover the innovative attempts and achievements of young farmers who will lead future agriculture," said Ko Moonsam, Chairman of the Jeju International Citrus Expo Organizing Committee. "We look forward to the active participation of young farmers nationwide."


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